New ship. We were prepared for it to NOT be like we have experienced with HAL before. It is indeed different. While we prefer the style of Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam over the Koningsdam, we would still sail Koningsdam again because the level and quality of service from HAL is consistent and worth every penny.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Super easy! We've learned it is not necessary to show up too early for embarkation. Instead, we left our hotel around noon. There was no line to get into the terminal. Once we checked in, we waited just a short time to board the ship.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Outstanding! The main dining room was excellent as always. The Lido Buffet has a different look and food was not in the place I normally expected. But the food itself and the service was excellent. We also at at Tamarind and it is exceptional. Service and food are second to none. We also ate at the Pinnacle Grill. Food was excellent but service was very slow--even thought we were one of about 4 parties dining that night. I am also obsessed with the Pizza they have at the NY Pizza deli and the food at the Dive-In. Both are right next to Lido pool and delicious!
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We enjoyed the pools during the day. Koningsdam has a wonderful double-deck lido area. We really enjoyed being on the second floor on the pool "beds". Not only are thy comfortable but you also get a great view.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Music at BB King's is great! We went there every night.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
As has become our expectation, the service was great.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
It is a beautiful ship. It is not, however, like other HAL ships. I can understand why some people don't like the new design. If you are used to something, you kind of like to stick with it. Although it was beautiful, I don't think the Music walk flowed well. I didn't like that the shops were on 2 different floors. I do like the "old" design of their other ships but I still would sail Koningsdam again in a heartbeat!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Got a gread deal on an upgrade to a suite, so we took it. First time in a suite and it was very nice. We were in a vista suite and I didn't think it was that much bigger than a verandah. Still, the new touches of the Koningsdam are very nice. The bathroom is awesome and I love that their are USB ports all over the place. I would book a suite every time if I could afford it!
Ship tip
Don't get hung up on how things look or are arranged on their other ships. Koningsdam is nothing like the other ships--enjoy it for what it is.
We enjoy San Juan very much but decided to visit the Barcardi Factory on our own. We winded up spending less than $10 a person to get there and back. Great visit.
This may be my second favorite port because of how close the ship is to the beach. Also, Margaritaville has a huge pool in the port that cruise passengers are free to use.
We took advantage of the Luggage Direct service with the cruise line. They checked us in for our flight, delivered to our room our boarding passes and took our luggage directly to the airport where they checked it in. We didn't see the luggage until we arrived at our home airport. How nice it was to not have to drag the luggage off the ship and to the airport. We will definately use that service again.
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